Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne has been recognised arsenic 1 of the champion successful the world, but successful a alternatively bizarre way.
The 27-year-old was named arsenic opening batter successful Wisden's existent World Test XI. Wisden is considered the book of cricket globally.
Labuschagne is ranked 4th successful the ICC's existent Test batting rankings, down Joe Root, Kane Williamson, and his teammate Steve Smith.
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The lone occupation is the quirky right-hander has ne'er opened the batting successful a Test match. Labuschagne has played the bulk of his 31 innings for Australia astatine No.3, and has besides batted astatine the 5 positions little than that successful the order, but ne'er opened.
Some pundits besides questioned the inclusion of 3 Australian players - Labuschagne, Smith, and Pat Cummins - erstwhile the Aussies person truthful acold lone played 2 Test matches this year. They haven't played a Test since past summer's bid against India, which they lost.
Sri Lanka's Dimuth Karunaratne and New Zealand's Tom Latham some unfastened the batting for their countries, and person played much Test cricket than Labuschagne this year.
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"There were galore enactment dilemmas facing the Wisden panel," Wisden says connected its website.
"Most notably however to acceptable Labuschagne, Root, Smith and Williamson into 1 side."
The 4 batters are the highest ranked Test players currently, contempt the quality successful the magnitude of cricket they've played successful the past 12 months.
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Wisden exertion Taha Hashim besides defended the determination to person Labuschagne unfastened the batting.
"I went for Marnus conscionable due to the fact that I was trying to acceptable successful each those middle-order guys and helium is Australia's No.3, averages 70 (71.42) astatine three... and I benignant of had to get him successful determination and that's the lone spot I could find," Hashim said.
Wisden's Test XI: Rohit Sharma, Marnus Labuschagne, Joe Root, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, Mohammad Rizwan, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Pat Cummins, James Anderson, Jasprit Bumrah
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